CISTA ARTS invites artists to submit work for its April 2026 online group exhibition. After the Rains reflects on what emerges once intensity has passed. It is concerned with quiet aftermaths rather than dramatic change—subtle shifts, lingering traces, and the slow settling of experience.

The exhibition invites artists to consider states of pause, recovery, and recalibration, where meaning unfolds through small gestures, residual marks, and attentive observation.

Artists working across all disciplines are invited to submit works that reflect on what exists between us: materially, spatially, emotionally, or conceptually.

Open to artists worldwide | All disciplines welcome

After the Rains

April often arrives not with drama, but with a quiet sense of adjustment.

After the Rains considers what takes shape once intensity has passed—when surfaces dry, rhythms recalibrate, and attention shifts from endurance to living with what remains.

Rather than focusing on rupture or renewal as events, the exhibition attends to their quieter consequences: altered grounds, softened edges, and the subtle reorganisation of feeling, memory, and relation.

The works gathered here reflect on states of aftermath—personal, social, and material.

They trace how experiences leave residues that continue to shape perception and behaviour long after their moment has ended. In this context, change is neither declared nor resolved; it unfolds slowly, through small gestures, accumulated marks, and minor recalibrations of presence.

After the Rains invites artists to engage with these understated conditions: moments of pause, recovery, uncertainty, or quiet persistence.

It offers space for works that are attentive rather than declarative, grounded in observation rather than conclusion—works that remain with the present as it settles, unevenly, into what comes next.

Submissions are welcome across all disciplines, including painting, drawing, photography, collage, printmaking, mixed media, digital practices, video, and experimental approaches. 

The exhibition is open to artists at all stages and from all geographical contexts.

Dates:

Submission Deadline: 18 March 2026
Exhibition Dates: 1- 30 April 2026

Submission Guidelines:

We are keen to learn about you! Please submit the following:

• Contact information (full name, email, mobile)

• Details of the artworks (title, size, medium, year, price)

• Artist statement (max 100 words on how your work relates to the theme)

• Short biography (max 100 words, third-person)

• Up to 4 sample images of your work

Please note: Only two artworks per artist will be selected for exhibition.

Selected Participants Will Receive:

• Exhibition of your work on the CISTA ARTS online platform (1-30 March 2026)

• Inclusion in a professionally produced paperback catalogue (UK-based) + complimentary PDF copy

• No commission taken on sales

• Daily social media features in our Meet the Artist series

• Exhibition placement on our homepage + archived access after close

• Direct links to your website or social media in all features

• Certificate of participation

Participation Fee: 

£30 for one accepted artwork | £50 for two accepted artworks

Applying to this exhibition opportunity is free.

Participation Fee Benefits:

Selected artists will have their work exhibited online for the full month on our homepage, included in a professionally produced printed and digital exhibition catalogue, featured in daily social media promotion under our ‘Meet the Artist’ series, and receive a certificate of participation. 

CISTA ARTS takes no commission on sales.

Digital Exposure and Reach:

• We currently have over 12.5K followers on Instagram, in addition to a Facebook audience and a mailing list of over 2K subscribers.
• Our online exhibitions attract between 1,200–1,800 unique visitors, and our website receives more than 4,000 visits per month.

• Each participating artist will be permanently featured on our Past Exhibitions page, with direct links to their own website or social media for continued exposure.

Exhibition Access:

The exhibition is fully accessible to the public via our official website, with no login or fee required.

Exhibition History:

Since our founding in 2018, CISTA ARTS has organised over 50 solo and group exhibitions, both online and in hybrid formats.

Our platform is designed to support emerging and mid-career artists across borders, particularly those facing visa and mobility restrictions.

Artist Feedback:

We have received consistently positive reviews from artists who have worked with us, with many praising our professionalism, communication, and the quality of our exhibitions.

These testimonials can be viewed on our Google Reviews page.

About Us:

Based in London, CISTA ARTS is an independent, artist-led curatorial platform dedicated to inclusive programming, cross-cultural dialogue, and supporting underrepresented voices in contemporary visual art.